of the greatest Inftances of Ingratitude and SER M. Prefumption that can well be thought of? a X. formal Mockery of Almighty God and our bleffed Saviour; a Contradiction to the End and Defign of the external Duties themselves; and a fatal Delufion and Deceit upon our own Souls: it being certain that our Performance of thefe external Duties is fo far from being an Excufe; that it will be the greatest Aggravation of a wicked Life.

AND now, if thefe Things be fo; what muft we fay of fome fort of Chriftians? They come to thefe external Parts of Religion for Comfort. With Hands, and Eyes lifted up, and an Air of the higheft Devotion, they will call upon the Name of the Lord, perform the publick Acts of Worship; hear his Word with Greediness; and perhaps partake of his Table. But here they reft. The fame unmortified Lufts and Paffions which they bring with them, they carry back again: and return, day after day, to take their Rounds of what they call Religion; in order to flatter themselves, the more plausibly, into a Fancy that they are not wholly devoted to Sin, and the World. And if they be a little eafy themselves in this Method; they are apt

X.

SER M. to think that Almighty God is easy with them likewife. But it is high time to awake out of this Dream. It is the Paradife of Madmen; and a State of the deepest Folly and Mifery. It is high time to confider what Religion is that it is not the being profeffed Chriftians; or Members of the best Church in the World; or Frequenters of the public Worship; or attentive Hearers of God's Word, that can at laft avail us; without living as becomes Chriftians; without adorning the Church we boast of, by an exemplary Holinefs; without manifefting a deep Senfe of God in all our Converfation; and without doing that Will of our heavenly Father, which we pretend to hear with fo much readiness.

AND God grant that all of us may fo confider thefe Things, as to let them have their due Influence upon all our future Behaviour, through Jefus Christ our Lord! Amen!

SERMON

The Power of Charity to cover Sins, confidered.

SERMON XI.

1 PETER iv. 8.

"And above all things have fervent Charity among your felves: for Charity shall cover the multitude of Sins.

HE Defign which I am now profecuting, obligeth me to take notice of fuch Paffages of Scripture as any profeffed Chriftians may, on any Account, apt to interpret to a very bad Purpose: that is, to the giving themselves Encouragement to hope for God's future Mercy, for the Sake of his Son even whilst they continue in the habitual Practice of known Sinş. And the Words which I have now read to

be

you, as well as fome others in the New Tef

tament

SERM.

XI.

SERM. tament to the fame purpose, feem at first XI. reading, and taken by themselves, to be as likely to be abufed this way, as any we can well pick out: which, therefore, I now defign carefully to confider; in order to prevent any fuch fatal practical Mistake as may endanger the Salvation of those who profess the Faith of Jefus Chrift.

THE Apoftle is, in this Verfe, after the moft earnest manner, preffing upon the Chriftians to whom he writes, the most fervent and unconfined Love towards one ano❤ ther, Above all things, have fervent Charity among your felves as his great Master had frequently, in the moft pathetic manner, exhorted his Followers to love one another. From which Words, Charity among your felves, it is evident that He is not in this place, preffing upon them Love in the moft comprehenfive Senfe poffible; or the Love of God, which is a diftinct part of the Law of Chrift; but particularly the Love of one another.

NOR is it any Objection against this (which is indeed plain from the very Words) that the form of Expreffion, with which the Apostle introduceth them, feems too

much

XI.

much for this. For the Phrafe, above all sERM. things, in the common use of it, is not defigned to be understood, as making the thing fpoken of, of greater Importance than every other Point whatfoever; but only to fignify that the Matter is of great Importance; and that there was great Occafion, perhaps from some manifest Failure amongst the Perfons spoken to, to prefs upon them this Particular, at this time, above all others.

Thus, to give one plain Inftance, St. James, in the fifth Chapter of his Epistle, at the 12th ver. brings in the Prohibition of Swearing, after the fame manner, But above all things, my Brethren, fwear not. can imagine but that demned by the Gofpel,

Not that

Not that any one other Crimes, conwere full as much

to be avoided by Chriftians, or were of a less heinous nature than this: but that He had fome more than ordinary present Occafion to remind them of their Duty in this Particular; and in an especial manner to charge them not to be guilty of this Vice. So likewife, in the Cafe before us, there may be supposed very good Reafon for St. Peter, at that time, to prefs upon the Chriftians to whom He wrote, the Love of one

another,